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The impulse which led to the writing of the present book has emerged from my many years of lecturing in special courses for selected students at the College of Civil Engineering of the Tech nical University in Prague, from experience gained as supervisor and consultant to graduate students-engineers in the field of applied mathematics, and - last but not least - from frequent consultations with technicians as well as with physicists who have asked for advice in overcoming difficulties encountered in solving theoretical problems. Even though a varied combination of problems of the most diverse nature was often in question, the problems discussed in this book stood forth as the most essential to this category of specialists. The many discussions I have had gave rise to considerations on writing a book which should fill the rather unfortunate gap in our literature. The book is designed, in the first place, for specialists in the fields of theoretical engineering and science. However, it was my aim that the book should be of interest to mathematicians as well. I have been well aware what an ungrateful task it may be to write a book of the present type, and what problems such an effort can bring: Technicians and physicists on the one side, and mathematicians on the other, are often of diametrically opposing opinions as far as books con ceived for both these categories are concerned.
